Saturday, May 29, 2010

Adrienne Dellwo, About.com Guide to Fibromyalgia & CFS recently reported that there are new criteria in diagnosing Fibromyalgia. Read her article here. It describes the diagnostic procedure for Fibromyalgia and the differences that have been made to include

I've probably had Fibromyalgia for about 8 years or so. I spent almost 2 years fighting against getting diagnosed. About a year and a half ago I was diagnosed and started a treatment regimen which has worked well especially for my pain. I have always felt that going strictly on a pain criteria, I do much better than most people with Fibro. My probably is the hypersensitivity to external stimuli which causes a lot of vertigo, nausea and migraines. Although I feel I do have pain, pretty extensive fibrofog, difficulty sleeping and continuing muscle weakness. Thankfully I have been blessed with doctors that know that Fibro isn't just a pain disorder. In addition to Lyrica and Cymbalta, my first medications, I added melatonin. Then I got special glasses for light sensitivity and a prescription for the eye drops Alphagan, which are typically used for Glaucoma patients. My medicine for nausea was upgraded to Ondansetron, the same thing they give to chemo patients. My vertigo is returning so I began taking Topiramate as well. We'll see what happens . . .

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

I hope that you'll take a moment to look around my blog. Visit some of the websites I've posted. Read some of my posts. Learn about Fibromyalgia. Learn about me. I hope that through this I can help and encourage those with Fibromyalgia and educate those who don't. Remember that just because we don't look sick doesn't mean we aren't. Just because we put on a good face doesn't mean we're not in pain.

One of the reasons I started this blog was because there are no support groups where I live. Share your favorite websites and your blogs with me. Please leave me a comment on my posts. I would love to dialogue about what we are fighting. Let's fight it together.

Each May, countless people around the world take part in Fibromyalgia Awareness Day activities. Officially observed on May 12, Awareness Day is designed to increase awareness and understanding of fibromyalgia—a chronic pain disorder that affects 3-5 percent of the world population.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

In a recent post I stated that I was thinking about getting the Boppy Total Body Pillow. While we were traveling I saw the store Destination Maternity. We went in so I could see the pillow. The salespeople were so nice. They have a yoga room where I was able to lie down on a mat and actually try out the pillow. I tried out the Boppy pillow and a couple of others. I liked Boppy the best. Since we were traveling we decided not to get it that day. But I did come home and order it. (I actually ordered it at Bed, Bath & Beyond because I had a 20% off coupon.) I currently sleep on an Apple Core Pillow recommended by my chiropractor. For organization sakes, I'll make that a separate post. When lying down with the body pillow, it was more comfortable to me to use it upside down, that is the part recommended to go between the knees under my head. The first night that I slept on it I woke up with a migraine in the wee hours of the morning. I moved the body pillow from under my head and put my core pillow back under me. After a few more hours of sleep the migraine was gone. My chiropractor said that using a body pillow is fine, but not the right support for my neck. So now I sleep with the knee part in between my knees and I have the head part in between my arms. I still have my head on my Apple Core Pillow. It works out nicely. I will say that it is difficult to roll over. Of course I usually wake up every time I roll over anyway. Sometimes I will lay on my back and have the large part under my knees since it can be painful for my back when lying flat. I'm glad that I purchased it, but since I can't use it under my head I probably could have used any body pillow. This was the most comfortable one though. If you haven't tried sleeping on your side with something between your knees and arms give it a try. It helps to align your spine and alleviates back pain. I hope this helps. What products do you use for a better night's sleep?

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

For years now I've been sleeping on the Apple Core Pillow also known as the Tri Core Pillow. It was recommended to me by my chiropractor to help reshape my neck to it's proper alignment. This pillow is a miracle. It is just the right depth so that when I lay on my side my neck is straight. There is an indention in the middle so that when you lay on your back, your head sinks into the pillow while your neck is supported. It helps to alleviate my migraines which are partly caused by the misalignment in my upper spine. I've tried other pillows, but for me this is the best one by far. Please check with your chiropractor before using this pillow. It may not be best for you. And follow the instructions on using the pillow since sleeping on it all night in the beginning may be painful.

About This Blog

I have Fibromyalgia. Do you know what that is? Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-AL-ja) is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. It is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress. At least that's what the experts say. But Fibro is different for everyone. I know we are all hurting and every day is hard. What I want is a place to ask questions, get opinions and answers. If you need to described your symptoms or struggles in order to ask questions or to share your solutions, that's great. But let's not just post about how miserable we are. I want to be part of a group that shares this together, but with a positive outlook. Let's learn how to live with this, survive it, be cured from it. I only get one life and I will not let Fibromyalgia take the joy from my living it.

***WARNING:***

content is personal and, as Fibromyalgia is a medical condition, may be graphic in nature.

ABOUT ME

I am 36 years old and live in Texas with my husband, currently two foster babies and two dogs. After two years of refusing to let my doctor diagnose me with Fibromyalgia I was finally and officially diagnosed in the fall of 2008. Looking back I believe I have probably had Fibro since about 2001. Although everyone's case is different I always felt that mine was exceptionally so. After sharing this blog and interacting with others on Facebook I have found that is not the case. I have the pain normally associated with FM however not to the debilitating levels that many of you suffer. I suffer mostly from an extreme sensitivity to external stimuli, i.e. sounds, smells, light, movement, changes in temperature resulting in severe nausea, vertigo and migraines. Before my diagnosis people would often ask me if I was pregnant and my reply would be, "if so I've been pregnant for six years."